GAINESVILLE, FL – Florida head coach Urban Meyer notched another victory Saturday when legendary running back Barry Sanders decided to switch his commitment from the NFL Hall of Fame to the defending national champion Gators, marking the eighth time this season a recruit has chosen Florida after a previous agreement with another institution.

Sanders, center, accepting the MVP award at the Army All-American game in San Antonio, TX. At the time Sanders was firmly committed to the NFL Hall of Fame.

“Coach [Meyer] convinced me the University of Florida is the right place for me. I mean no disrespect to the Hall of Fame, the city of Canton, the state of Ohio or anyone else, but I had to do what was right for me. I couldn’t sleep for a week straight, but when I made my decision I felt completely at ease with myself. I talked to my family and they said that I needed to do what was best for me,” Sanders said in a press conference aired on CSTV. The 38 year old member of the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team couldn’t suppress a smile when he put on an orange and blue Florida hat.

Meyer and the Gators are riding high on the momentum from their Jan. 8 41-14 domination of Ohio State in the BCS title game, and that success has spilled over into the recruiting wars that make the month following bowl season a period of vicious cloak and dagger battles. The Gators – led by freshman All-America quarterback Tim Tebow and fellow frosh sensation Percy Harvin – seem to be a unanimous pre-season top five pick for the 2007 season and blue chip recruits are flocking to the Swamp… even if it means they have to leave behind old promises to do so. Sanders joins recent high-profile players like offensive lineman James Wilson (Augustine High, FL) and defensive end Justin Trattou (Don Bosco Prep, NJ) who de-committed from USC and Notre Dame, respectively.

“Meyer and Florida have really capitalized on the shine of the national championship. Poaching Trattou from [New Jersey born Notre Dame head coach] Charlie Weis’ backyard is pretty amazing, but Sanders leaving Canton? What Urban is doing right now can only be described as logistically impossible, but those scholarships are flying off the Florida panhandle like hotcakes off of a griddle-like metaphor,” Rivals.com recruiting analyst Jeremy Crabtree said.

The 5’8″ 203 lbs. Sanders retired in July of 1999 after rushing for 15,269 yards in ten years with the Detroit Lions, who selected the 1988 Heisman Trophy winner out of Oklahoma State. He was named to the Pro Bowl in all ten of his seasons. His retirement came as a shock as many considered Sanders still in his athletic prime and certainly within striking distance of Walter Payton’s since broken career rushing record.

“Like any recruit who takes time off from football, sure there are questions about Barry. Kids go on missions, they play baseball, they choose other things than football all the time, but a guy with Barry’s potential makes the payoff higher than the risk. A lot of recruiting services project him as an all-around athlete and even as a true cover corner, but we think he’s got running back written all over him. I believe the departure of [Florida tailback] DeShawn Wynn really convinced Barry he could earn some early playing time with Florida, and Meyer sold it well,” Crabtree said.

According to Sanders, Meyer’s other selling points included the possibility of helping to lead the Gators to another national championship, the chance to play “against the best athletes in America in the SEC” and Gainesville’s location.

Though normally not a selling point compared to places like South Beach or Los Angeles, Sanders was convinced when Florida recruiting coordinator Chuck Heater showed the NCAA single season touchdown (39) and rushing (2,628 yards) leader a large custom poster with a picture of Gainesville next to a picture of Detroit.

Sanders, a Motor City resident for more than eighteen years, got the point: “Coach Meyer and Coach Heater made it clear that I had to get out of there. My family was really big on the distance factor, and I agreed. The more miles between us and Detroit the better.”

Though Sanders’ NCAA eligibility was exhausted when he turned pro in 1989, he will nonetheless have four years to play three seasons for the Gators.

Meyer expressed excitement for his new recruit, praising Sanders repeatedly and stressing that the Wichita-born tailback would get an equal shot at the starting position in August.

“We got a bunch of guys who rushed the ball for us pretty well returning from last season, plus two great running back recruits already. Then there’s Tebow. He’ll occasionally run the ball too. No one is handing Barry that starting job just yet,” the second year head coach said.

“But [Sanders] did juke [NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time defensive back] Rod Woodson so badly he ruptured the guy’s knee, so I like Barry’s chances of getting some carries next year,” Meyer added.

Though most recruiting analysts believe Florida’s latest pick-up will help vault the Gators’ class to the top, some caution that a late push by rivals Miami and Florida State could very well make the race a photo finish.

“There’s been a lot of buzz about Jim Brown de-commiting from Canton and heading to the Sunshine State. He’s been out of the game a bit longer than Sanders, but there’s no doubt in my mind that both the Seminoles and ‘Canes could use [the 70 year old] Brown,” Crabtree said. “Then again, Urban is well known for his medical plan explanations and he’s got an in-home visit scheduled with Jim this weekend.”

Meyer refused to comment on any ill will between him and the NFL Hall of Fame after Sanders’ de-commitment, choosing instead to stare northward for a quarter of an hour in intensely silent focus.

Even if there hadn’t been that ridiculously messed up “case” against him, poor Mark would still be getting made fun of simply because his last name went so well with a roster full of Bootys, Hancocks and Bushes.

Chris Leak is a very smart, very well-spoken young man. He is quiet in public and can be a little uncomfortable in interviews, although he is getting better with all the practice he has had since proving he is a National Championship QB.

You, on the other hand, are a loser with or without socks…and one who steals his material from Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson. Get a life.

Great article on Barry Sanders. Didn’t he go to the NFL as a junior? Maybe he still has a year left. :)

He was the greatest mismatch I’ve ever seen in college. Nobody could touch him.

I did not boo period. But, the people who did boo were not booing Leak (as the media has reported). Tebow had taken the team down the field and then was replaced by Leak deep in Kentucky territory. The “booers” wanted tebow to finish the drive. They were booing the decision, not the player.

I correctly posted on our message board that Meyer was practicing this strategy (of switching QB’s) to force defenses to deal with either QB on the fly. Worked pretty well all year.

And true, in hindsight, OSU should have blitzed. But then Harvin, Caldwell, Baker etc. would have been running free in their defensive backfield. choose your poison.

SDGator, don’t get so excited. Emotional displays like that allow you to be owned in public forums. A public forum like Leak was soundly booed by the proud Gator Nation. It was bad enough that the commentators made mention of it.

Ok, since you wouldn’t own up to it yourself, I went on that self-flatulating excuse for a site you promote only to discover you’re a Vol. With buddies like Lloyd Braun who was sent home crying from our message board.

I’m not excited…and certainly not owned by the likes of you. A Vol making judgments about intelligence? The collective IQ inside a full Neyland stadium doesn’t equal Leak’s jersey number.

You talk about Leak going to the CFL. Maybe. He’s just under 6 feet. Tough to make it that way. How is Tee Martin’s NFL career? Or Pickle Boy’s? And Heath Shuler’s? Talk about intelligence!!

Fat Phil, that genius, sniffing any SEC titles lately? He turns out a lot of pro talent, but just can’t seem to get it done. If the Arkansas QB doesn’t lay it on the turf for no reason or we don’t give you five gifts, he wouldn’t even have his claim to fame.

But, Leak WAS smart enough to direct that 4th Qtr drive to take you out again at home. 21-20. And you’re a head slap and bad call away from it being 4 straight.

Loserwithsocks, hush.
It’s true, there were boos when Leak walked out on the field, but I can vouch for SDGator: They were to let Tebow finish the drive he’d been running so beautifully. The coaches’ decision, not the QB that’d represented the Gator Nation for four years, was being booed.
I’m sure they boo people in Tennessee, but no one can hear it over that nauseating cacophony you call “Rocky Top.” Anyway, good luck against us in two years, when we play you over in Tennessee again. Don’t even think of anything like winning in the Swamp.

Plenty of USC fans booed Carson Palmer for four years and anyone who says it didn’t happen is either lying or never showed up from 1998-2001. I’ll bet everyone who booed him talks about how they knew he’d be special from day one, too.

Clearly loserwithsocks knows what he is talking about. He was obviously at the game right? Well since I was… I can most definitely let you know that booing Chris was not what majority of true fans of the Gator Nation were doing, though the media may have skewed outsiders perceptions.

I think Leak has handled himself quite well in the lime light especially with his appearance on Jay Leno. As a fellow class mate of Leak I’m pretty sure he can spell “Cat” since I have been paired with him on some projects. Though public speaking is not his forte, I quite confident that his intelligence supersedes a good amount of football players, quarterbacks included.

What a comedian… really! It’s good to know you have a sense of humor. And the funny thing is I was talking more about scholarly feats and personal feats than athletic ones so your feeble attack really means nothing. If Chris makes it in the CFL good for him. Maybe he can be like a former UF great… win a national championship, attempt NFL, and if that doesn’t work out then he will move on to great things, much like our beloved Wuerffel. I don’t think he’ll be pulling a Clarett anytime soon.
Creative spelling with the Geightor Nation. But at least you could be as creative as UT and FSU and hit us with GAY-tor Nation. Even with their low SAT scores they can think that one up.
Hoover may have beaten Tebow’s high school team, but I do believe his NC has an upper hand right now. But then again, I may just be a girl that doesn’t know anything at all.

Marcus Thomas had been kicked off the team before the South Carolina game…no luck involved. Btw, name me one other coach who kicks a first round draft pick off the team while they are in the National Championship hunt when he isn’t forced to do so? I’ll be waiting a long time for that one.

And you shouldn’t discuss luck. Slowtre Dame wouldn’t be in those BCS Bowls on merit alone. The last time you guys won a bowl game Lou Holtz was helping Noah load animals on the ark.

Speaking of Ark…Springdale chicken farmer? I assume an Arkansas fan. You can talk about bad parents? Leak and Tebow caused us no problems. You guys are in the midst of a full scale parental mutiny. Mrs. Mustain is your new Offensive Coordinator.

Yes, Marcus smoked…and was booted off the team for not complying with Meyer’s rules for reinstatement. And I hear we’re kicking another player who looked like a starter next year for disciplinary reasons as we speak. But those problems will disappear as these kids understand Urban won’t put up with it. So you guys keep sweeping your problems under the rug. We’ll keep doing it the right way…and still winning the NC.